CHRISTIE BUSINESS
Hero sub changes the game to hurt Hearts and send Celts closer to triple treble
FOR all the arguing over the venue and kick-off time, Hearts were kicked into touch by super sub Ryan Christie at Scotland’s home of rugby.
They were still jostling and competing for half of the game at Murrayfield but when it came to the crunch it just felt like a month of moaning and 45 minutes of huff and puff were merely killing time.
When it really counted, champions Celtic just did what they do. Normality restored.
Brendan Rodgers has endured a tricky period. Bother in the transfer market, struggles in Europe and patchy early domestic form.
Yet through all of those issues, the Hoops boss now stands just 90 minutes from another trophy – a seventh in succession.
Christie and Scott Sinclair have struggled badly for game time and input this term. Out of form and out of favour, the pair of them didn’t even get a start here but their impact on arrival was fabulous.
The Scot appeared at half-time in place of Olivier Ntcham and won a penalty for Sinclair, who had come on for injured Eboue Kouassi, to bag the opener before the 23-year-old struck a wonderful third to finish it.
In truth, Christie had actually scored before that. His effort was over the line before James Forrest smashed the rebound.
Christie’s been desperate to make a proper contribution at Parkhead since signing. For the first time, this was genuine. Real influence on a big day and it was all too much for Hearts.
Craig Levein’s men were sickened. They were in the game until Ollie Bozanic’s needless tackle toppled Christie early in the second period. It was a crushing way to fall behind and they simply didn’t recover.
By the end, they were keeping the score down. Distraught and demoralised. This was a huge chance to win a piece of silverware and now it’s gone.
Steven Naismith’s early injury was a savage setback and it will hurt like his knee at Tynecastle this morning.
So much hope evaporated, yet this is what Celtic do domestically. They have a firm grip on the trophies and, on this evidence, they won’t be giving any of them up.
Celtic were rightful winners. It was tight for a half but, when they opened up, they dragged Hearts across every yard of the vast pitch and had run them ragged by the conclusion.
It was flowing by the finish, yet it took a while to warm up. Given the
hype the first half was flat. There was a feeling it might be feisty and Steven MacLean went in the book after 55 seconds but ref Willie Collum’s card seemed to have a calming effect.
It was competitive, of course. But nothing untoward unless you count MacLean having a grab at Kouassi’s dusters at a set-piece.
Having already been booked, it wasn’t a smart move. The Ivorian had to go off soon afterwards but not due to that injury. He’d been limping beforehand and, while that was a blow for Celtic, it was not as critical as the Naismith departure.
Danny Amankwaa, nowhere near of the same standard or influence, was shuttled in as replacement. It forced alterations in both camps but Rodgers had pulled a rabbit out in the shape of Kristoffer Ajer, who had been missing since the quarter-final win over St Johnstone.
The Norwegian started and, while Kouassi was earmarked to deputise again for Scott Brown, Callum McGregor soon had to take that place with sub Sinclair going to wide left.
Levein’s choices were simpler. Peter Haring’s return was well touted, yet Naismith’s loss disrupted things badly. Maybe the changes were the reason for a lack of cohesion in the first half.
It was Sinclair who came the closest with a curling shot which was touched wide by Zdenek Zlamal.
Down the other end, Olly Lee’s half-volley was gathered by Scott Bain, who kept his Betfred Cup place at the expense of Craig Gordon. MacLean had the ball in the net after flicking home when Haring won a corner in the air but far-side assistant Alan Mulvanny was right to flag.
More changes for the restart saw Christie arrive and that changed the whole encounter.
Within six minutes, the sub’s feet were clipped in the box by Bozanic and Collum was perfectly placed to see it. Sinclair took the responsibility and sent Zlamal the wrong way.
It was one-way traffic from then on. Odsonne Edouard wasted an opening but the second goal was coming and, when it arrived, it was a calamity for Zlamal.
Christie’s shot from the edge of the box looked to take a minimal nick off Haring on its way through to the keeper but the Czech fumbled badly and the ball squirted towards his net.
Zlamal didn’t look to have stopped it dribbling over the line before he reached back and pushed it back out but assistant Mulvanny didn’t start heading for the halfway line for a restart until Forrest slammed the loose ball into the net to make sure.
Christie might not have got that one but his left-foot curler from the edge of the box was special, and the game was done.
Celtic had several other chances after that. They could have scored four or five by the finish but seven is now the number on their minds as they look to collect yet another piece of silverware.